MILLCREEK, Utah, Sept. 3, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Unified Police and SWAT officers rescued an elderly woman Friday night after an armed man barricaded himself in the Millcreek home in which she lives.
Neighbors in the area west of Highland Drive on 3900 South, just a short distance from the Millcreek police substation, were ordered to shelter in place as the tense situation began to unfold around 6 p.m.
Unified Police Department Lt. Shane Manwaring told reporters later Friday night, as the situation was still active, that a man escaped from the home and ran over to the police station to report that shots were being fired and that the woman was still inside the house.
Officers arriving at the home heard multiple shots and quickly set up a containment area, Manwaring said. They also requested additional resources, including SWAT and hostage negotiators.
The immediate goal of the responding officers was to bring the woman safely out of the home, Manwaring said, and although they were still being fired at, the officers entered the home and were able to bring the woman out without anyone being injured.
Manwaring said the woman was taken to the police station and should be OK. He said he spoke with her and that any “injuries” to her were age-related and not the result of the the shooter in her home.
Any relationship between the woman and the suspect is as yet unknown, Manwaring said.
He added that he was unable to confirm that no one else had been injured, because police hadn’t yet been able to go in and search the house. Hostage negotiators were still working late Friday night to convince the suspect to surrender.
Unified Fire Authority brought robots to enter the house, but again, Manwaring said it wasn’t known if anyone else was inside.
Approximately 70 officers were on scene, he said.
Gephardt Daily will continue to update this developing story as more information is made known.
